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Saturday, May 5, 2012

Gardening jobs 2 - The compost bin

I recently posted about how much my chickens have helped my compost along. I thought I'd share an update on how its going.

I have just emptied and spread a whole bin through my vegie beds. It turned into compost more quickly than usual thanks to the added carbon matter and manure. So here's the story of starting again.

As it is best to layer your compost, first gather your raw materials.

As you can see you don't need a lot of space.

I started with grass clippings. At this time of year they have the added bonus of chopped up dry leaves which add to the carbon component.

Then I added some ash from the fireplace, some horse manure and a layer of kitchen scraps.

Shredded paper and mulch from the chicken coop on top. I will keep going with layers of scraps and chicken coop bedding. The grass is slowing down but I will add clippings when I have them. I topped it all off with some left over compost and soil. A drink of molasses and its all ready to start breaking down.

For more on composting the homespun way please check out my earlier post or leave me a comment.

Welcome to home spun bliss

My name is Jodie. I live in the magnificent Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia with my husband, two dogs, two cats and two chickens. This blog chronicles my journey to a simple, authentic, homespun life full of sewing, cooking and home grown food and my passion for living a balanced, energetic life full of all the things we love. Welcome!